European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 2, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse German children Salute the americans of the Wall patrol. The Barrier to Freedom above spec. 4 Phillip Davis of Russellville ark., a member of the recon patrol leans on an m60. Below s. Sgt. Theodore Johnson of Fayetteville n.c., watches Railroad tracks and observation Tower in East Berlin. Four american soldiers on Tower observe activity in the East z i Story and photos by Jim Arwin staff writer be seen soldiers on the other Side of the Wal with Flowers sticking out of the their Rifle barrels said 1st it. David Morin As he squinted into Field glasses and looked across the Berlin Wall to the soviet Side. He and his two jeep reconnaissance patrol were stopped at one of the towers along the 40-mile american sector of the infamous Barrier to Freedom. We d like to holler at them when they sleep but Don the said with a chuckle. Anyway it gives us Good insight into the discipline of their soldiers he said of the soviet sector guards. Meanwhile on the West Side of the Wall German children gathered around the jeeps saluted and waved approval to the . Army in their neighbor Hood. After 16 years the american armoured patrols along the Berlin Wall have become so common that mos people along the recon route Don t even look up from their work or play As the gun jeeps pass kicking up dust. While making its rounds the recon patrol gathers in formation and files reports on activities along the Wall with the emergency operations Center Berlin brigade he. Of interest to the trained eyes of the patrols Are any physical changes or activities associated with the Wall. Noted Are vehicle movement people activities and construction projects. We make stops at All our towers and at Many Wall locations where they have towers on the other Side. We note such things As types of soviet vehicles their identification markings and direction of travel said Morin who added that the american patrol s movement along the Wall follows no set time pattern. Page 14 the stars and stripes a Al to j 4 i i by War we a t,ihh3 vat a vol a v"v�.-1 " i msgr a it two . Guri jeeps move along a path near the Berlin Wall soldiers of 4th in 6bnf, mount Tower to take a look into East Berlin. Monda october 2, 1978 moment Story and photos by Carrie Izard staff writer he East German Border guard in the Tower facing Allied checkpoint Charlie in Berlin looked bored As the Lazy afternoon faded into an even Lazier could hear the presses running in a nearby building that housed a newspaper. A Young girl and her father stood alone on the observation deck near the Allied checkpoint staring at the Berlin Wall. Everything was so Laid Back it seemed like it should be sunday. Routine. Slow. But this is Charlie s moment. Every evening the military police lower the american Flag that flies in front of the checkpoint facing East Berlin. They rarely lower it without Charlie at their Side. Charlie is a 47-year-old West Berliner. He was there when the Wall was built in 1961.nobody around the checkpoint seems to know where he makes his Home in West Berlin but everybody kno Scharlie. He sometimes wears a coat with an american Flag on it and every evening when the maps lower the Flag he stands quiet and tall. As it nears the hands of the maps Charlie s kind of a permanent fixture Here. I Don t think he has any place else to go said one of the maps working at the checkpoint. He does t speak English but it in t really necessary the my added. He just likes to be near the checkpoint and the american Flag. The Day to Day realities at checkpoint Charlie Are not recognized As romantic. Really it s More of a routine and though the checkpoint the Wall East Berlin life in West Berlin Are All serious business the checkpoint itself goes through Day to Day motions like Many jobs. S. Sgt. Robert Gervais looks like Groucho s an interesting feeling to be looking at the Wall the East German guards and then find Groucho Marx walking toward you. Gervais is one of three cos in charge of the Check Point which is in the american sector Here. Our main function is to control military Access into East Berlin and to Aid civilians or answer any questions they might have. We also make sure the military going into East Berlin have the proper paperwork and Are in uniform which is a regulation said Gervais. One question Many of the civilians who Stop by the checkpoint ask is there any danger in East Berlin there has t been an actual incident for a Long time that involved civilians said Gervais. If you just follow the Basic rules for being in East Berlin you re not going to run into any the Basic restrictions include prohibition of pictures of any government buildings the transit system or anyone in , a civilian stopped by the checkpoint and asked the maps what would happen if he did take pictures of something he was not supposed to. Gervais said the Charlie salutes As . Flag is lowered. Man looked to be in his 40s and he went on through to pro Cess at the East German checkpoint. I had forgotten about him said Gervais. Later that night the Man stopped by the checkpoint to Tell the maps what would happen if you took pictures of something you were not supposed to. I guess they detained him for about three hours just asking him a lot of questions. They gave him a 75-year old translator who spent most of the time telling this Guy How great the Wall was. And they let him go obviously. Here at the checkpoint we usually give people who Are going into the East a briefing about the picture taking and give them traffic regulations if they Are although the checkpoint itself might be full of routine working a Little More drama than most jobs. One quiet night we were All sitting in Here and All of a sudden we heard these shots. All of us came run Ning outside the French and the British too and we were looking around wondering what was going on. Somebody finally told us that it was the night of the world cup soccer meet and some germans set off some firecrackers at the Start of it. Now that i think of it it s kind of funny but at the time it kind of Shook us observation deck at checkpoint Charlie. The stars and stripes Page 15
